


Postcards from the Floating World

by Corinne K (Corinne_K)



Series: Borrowed Scenery [3]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 19:38:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7520545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corinne_K/pseuds/Corinne%20K
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An afternoon in a picturesque weekend spot turns into an evening of passion and surprises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Postcards from the Floating World

**Author's Note:**

> With this tribute to my Bleach OTP I close the Borrowed Scenery series. It follows the same timeline and premises as the previous stories - i.e. some time after the current manga events, assuming that peace returned to the Bleachverse and that, somehow, both of our favourite shinigami husbands made it through alive.
> 
> Please leave some feedback, it would be so nice to read whatever you have to say!

Sun glasses. Big, polarized and, according to his gaudy sense of fashion, pretty sharp. He was glad he bought them. He never thought of himself as beautiful. No, he was much too scruffy and bulky to be beautiful. Handsome, perhaps, charming, depending on the taste. A bit of a bohemian allure going on, a good build, manly hirsuteness, especially chest and arms, a nice baritone voice. He was not beautiful, but still it bothered him that he had lost the symmetry of his features. Not when it happened, of course. Back then, that was the least of his worries.

Clad in khaki shorts and linen shirt, his naturally tanned skin shimmered under the hot sun. He leaned on the metal rail watching the big white ferry, Miyajima-maru, maneuver its way to the pier ahead. The approach was smooth, mechanic growl drawing near, and the metal platforms swiftly lowered to let people and vehicles out. Calmly, weekend rhythm reining, the waiting passengers started marching in. 

‘Where the hell’s that guy?’

As if summoned by his thoughts, a familiar white-haired figure materialized by the ticket booth, stopped for a brief moment, then ran down waving and smiling, tucking coins and notes into his pocket. 

‘Some things never change.’

They drew near hastily, smiles across their faces, and Shunsui’s heart fluttered as their hands came together, left with right. He stole a glance of his newly arrived partner. The black wayfarer shades complimented his thin features. Skin was less pale, a peachy blush on his cheeks, hair was still long and loose, but the marks around mid-length were evidence of new habits. ‘Perhaps he wears his hair up now.’ What else might have changed during the time they’d been apart?

“I’m sorry, I got on the wrong tram” he started explaining, as they settled on the outer deck, “and then I got lost, this place has changed so much, and then I finally got back on the tram, and it took so long and stopped so many times that I was getting so restless… I-I am… glad you waited.” 

He said it all in a breath, expressive eyebrows matching the flow of words. Shunsui shook his head.

“Of course I would wait, silly. I missed you.”

As they sat, the interlaced hands rested on Shunsui’s leg. Jūshirō’s eyes followed the bundle of fingers.

“I missed you too.”

“How’s everything in Kyoto?”

“All is well. I really like it there. It’s… not like home, but it’s a beautiful place… so much history. Every stone tells a story.”

“Glad to hear.”

“How about…?” Jūshirō was going to openly ask about Soul Society when he realized where he was. But Shunsui didn’t let it drop.

“Things are getting back on track.”

“How’s Kuchiki doing?”

“She’s got big shoes to fill.”

“Don’t flatter me.”

“It’s true...” he feigned hurt, then admitted “she’s doing well.”

Jūshirō smiled – pride and relief. Shunsui smiled too, bitterness hidden in that curl of lips. Amid the horrors and the casualties of war, having Jū stuck in the human world, unable to return to his shinigami form was a lesser damage, but still his absence weighed on his days –a lonely succession of dark and light, a sterile ocean of duty.

A feather-light touch came to his temple, under the orange-colored frame. Jūshirō seemed to be inspecting the scar, tilting his head to the side, but then his hands started lifting the glasses and Shunsui, on reflex, shot up his arms and locked the other man’s wrists.

“I’m sorry…” he said “I just wanted to take a look.”

“Please don’t… I…”

He was ugly. It wasn’t just the scar. His hair was greying, his skin dulling. He had to let him have the glasses, at least that one artifice, as silly as it might sound. But the other man said-

“You are beautiful, Shun, you still are.” And he left a peck on his cheek to mark the statement. The other passengers seemed unfazed, except for a couple of high school girls who’d been giggling and sending furtive looks their way.

As the short crossing came to an end on the island’s shore, they disembarked and walked out of the small ferry terminal. All around them, a happy weekend vibe. There was a fair amount of tourists that moved in the general direction of the famous torii gate that rests over the waters. There was also a large population of tame deer that mingled with the passers-by, hoping for treats. One came trotting straight at them.

“Shika-san! What a pretty thing you are!” Jūshirō said as he started patting the animal’s head. “What do you like to eat? Shun, we could buy some snacks for them… Do you think they sell deer biscuits around here?”

He nodded and took his friend’s hand once more. Even after all the years they’d shared, he still couldn’t help but noticing the beauty in his smile, the lulling quality of his voice, the flush in his cheeks when he felt wanted.

They walked leisurely, following the flow of the crowd, the landscape a mere backdrop to their friendly chatter. They went up to the hall on top of the hill, a vast wooden shrine overlooking the ocean, built in memory of fallen soldiers. Shunsui marveled at how his friend had withstood the climb without a fit or even a rest, and thought that their separation was worth it after all. 

They sat in silence, basking in the cool wind that ran through the porch. The sun was on its way to the horizon, the sky was clear and the soft hues of twilight were setting in. 

“We should check-in before we go for dinner.” Jū casually suggested, and didn’t (or pretended not to) take note of the thrill that sent down Shunsui’s entire body.

“You booked a room?”

“Of course. You don’t want to sleep outside, do you?” but then his face turned sad “Or… don’t tell me you have to return today?”

“No, I don’t.”

As silence threatened to fall between them, Shunsui added –

“I just thought you already had someone to go home to.”

Jūshirō’s eyes grew wide, then fluttered back to a thin line as he dipped his gaze on his lap.

“I do, but not tonight.”

The implications of that statement came thundering through Shunsui’s body, his restraint hanging by threads.

“Is that… alright?”

“We’ve talked about it. She said…” - his fingers suddenly tangled in hesitation – “she said it’s ok.”

“You don’t seem positive.”

“I trust her. Humans have changed.”

“I know, but…”

“Stop worrying. I want to enjoy this… I want to enjoy you…”

“If you say it like that I won’t be able to help myself, you know…”

Jūshirō snorted, then rose to his feet and stretched like a cat. Seeing as the other man wordlessly strolled towards the exit, Shunsui followed merrily.

-

Just like a love-struck fool, he stood there gaping at the man who diligently filled in forms by the hotel counter. The concierge, a short-haired woman of thirty, handed him back his documents and the room keys, then explained something in a monotone voice - something about dinner and breakfast… But all Shunsui could register were the long fingers holding the pen, the thin wrist and arm, the neckline brushed by white threads. Oh, to run his hands up those arms, down that back and… ‘Oh shit…’

“Kyoraku!”

“Hmm?”

“Come, take off your shoes. We’re good here.”

“Oh, great!” he smiled sheepishly.

They went up the stairs and into the bedroom – the space was generous, the tatami fresh and fragrant, flooded by the evening sun. A balcony overlooked mountain and ocean, and there, nested between two modesty panels, water in a wooden tub gently bubbled.

“Not so shabby.” He offered, nonchalantly.

“Always hard to please.” His friend replied, keeping with the act.

He walked outside, dipped his fingers in the warm water, his gaze on the golden landscape. A few minutes later, Jū’s hands materialized on his shoulders.

“May I?” his voice was soft like a warm sip of sake.

He tipped his chin forward to allow better access. Then, those hands slowly lifted the plastic frame from his ears and nose and put it away somewhere. They came forth once again, bringing the black patch and skilfully tying its threads around his head. Finally, they raked through his hair, releasing his hair tie and letting his curly mane fall loose.

“There.” He said, turning Shunsui around like a puppet, and looking at him with an air of satisfaction. They moved closer until their bellies rubbed and then, finally – a dance they knew so well – Shunsui’s hands rested on Jūshirō’s waist and Jūshiro’s palms cradled Shunsui’s cheeks, pulling him down. Their lips touched. 

‘He wants me.’ It had been a silly concern, he knew it, but only that kiss had managed to untie the knot in his stomach. He kissed back passionately, hands travelling up to shoulder blades, down to narrow hips. Button by button, the fabric around his chest was separated and soon a pair of thin lips were on his nipples, the pressure of long fingers all over his chest.

“You want me.”

“I do.”

“How do you want me?”

“What…?”

Jūshirō looked confused as he pushed himself backwards, palms on the other man’s clavicule.

“Shunsui, are you suggesting I take you?”

“Well, your sex life seems to have taken a 360 as of late. I don’t want to force you into something you don’t want.”

Jūshirō’s face turned into a frown, then his eyelid twitched and finally he began shaking with an outburst of laughter.

“Did I say something funny?”

“No, you didn’t…”

“Then, why…?”

“It’s just… the idea of Kyoraku Shunsui offering his ass on a silver platter, it’s something memorable indeed.”

“You…”

"Shunsui… Can we carry on? I think I'm getting rather horny."

Always proper Jūshirō being forward and outspoken was quite a treat. 'The human world is changing you, my love.'

They stumbled back into the room, lips locked and bodies pressed hard against each other. Shunsui’s hands slipped under the t-shirt, up through smooth skin and then down, dipping into the slack between flesh and fabric. Lean muscles moved as he kneaded. Skin so soft, so beautiful and at his mercy. 

His own unbuttoned shirt fell to the floor as he pulled Jūshirō’s t-shirt over his head. Their lips met once more, tongues intertwining, as they worked on each other's shorts. Shunsui, predictably, wore nothing but the khaki shorts, while Jūshirō wore snug white boxers, swiftly skinned from his hips by eager hands. They measured each other for a second and, as if on cue, Jūshirō dropped to his knees. Shunsui closed his eyes and let the surge of sensations swarm through him. To have shared a bed with this man for so many lifetimes had been a privilege. To have him kneel before him now, willingly, just to give him pleasure, sent thrills down his spine, brought him close to the edge. He had missed this terribly, but he didn’t want it to end there.

"Did you bring your little friend?" He asked, and green eyes glanced upwards.

"Of course. In the toiletries bag, inside my backpack, if you’d care to fetch it."

He left him there, kneeling, but from the corner of the eye he saw him opening the wardrobe and pulling the futon. 

"Final answer?" He whispered as he placed the small tube in the other man’s palm. 

"Fuck me." Was the answer. His body toned and enticing, his posture of sober self-confidence, hand resting on his hip, the other still cradling the lube.

"Very well. Against the wall."

The motion was swift and there was a thud against the hard surface as Jūshirō’s hands braced his body. He planked, and Shunsui could admire how his friend had become more robust. Thighs, abs and pectorals were kilted with muscle. His fingers ran bruising through that flesh, feeling, possessing. The other hand had caught the most of the long white mane in a bunch and tugged at it crudely. He plunged into the bare neck in a bruising kiss.

Shifting his body weight to one arm, Jūshiro seized a travelling hand and squeezed some gel onto its fingertips. Then his arm went limp and the tube fell to the floor, as lips trailed down his neck and those sleeked fingers worked their way into him.

The first strokes were hard and slow. Jū whimpered, then began to moan. Shunsui knew his throat had started to produce a kind of animal roar. Muffled grunts punctuated each thrust. He picked up speed. He rarely got carried away like this but Jūshirō seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. So he gave it to him, fast and wild, drawing tremors and the sweetest sounds of pleasure from the man locked between him and the wall.

In the aftermath, he could barely remember that his release had come violent and intense, or that he had squeezed Jū’s cock and milked it frantically to make him come at the same time, but he remembered the smile in the other man’s face as he kissed him, a smile made of fragile feelings. His own longing, his love for Jūshirō, all dancing in his head as he smiled back.

"I will take you up on that offer some time, you know..." the thinner man whispered.

"Oh dear, what did I get myself into...?"

They laughed together and fell on the naked tatami, a sweaty heap. They had time for a rinse and quick soak in the outdoor tub, before dinner was served. Night had fallen by the time they went out. The lanterns were lit and the day trippers were gone. With no plan in mind they simply strolled by the sea, embraced like the friends and lovers they had always been. A deer, perhaps the same one, came trotting by their side. They glanced into each other's eyes and giggled, hazy joy.

There was a low wall separating the sidewalk from the sea, and a small sand bank on low tide. Jūshirō pulled Shunsui by the hand and they took a seat, feet dangling on the water side. Jūshirō rested his head on the other man's shoulder, then pulled him for a kiss. Shunsui indulged in the open sensuality, forgetting their surroundings and the passers by. There was only the sound of waves washing on the shore and those exquisite lips on his. It still felt strange, the idea that Jū had found someone else with whom to share his life. ‘At least he’s not alone’. He pulled Jūshirō closer, wrapped his arms around him, sheltering him from the evening chill and from all troubles in the world.

"Shunsui, I have something to tell you.”

For a moment his heart stood still, suddenly weary of what Jū might have to say. He saw the chest that rested within his arms go up and down in a deep breath. The embrace was loosened and Jūshirō took both Shunsui's hands in his. 

"I am going to be a father." He said, calm expectation in his voice.

At the sound of those words, Shunsui felt as though he had landed on someone else’s dialogue. He would have made a joke if he could think of any, but deep inside he knew that this was the one subject that Jūshirō would never lie about. The hands around his tightened a notch.

"My whole life seems like a sequence of miracles, doesn’t it? When I was a child, I was supposed to die. I survived, but I was so sick that my life would be worthless anyway, but there I went and became a shinigami. I thought I would be alone forever, duty as my only solace… but then I found you and together we found love. Then came the time for me to meet my destiny, but still you saved me. I thought I would never be but a vessel of old things, destined to be emptied and disappear, and yet the gift of new life is upon me…”

A light flashed through his green eyes, so bright it could only be unbridled joy.

"I understand. This evening was... a nice farewell."

"What?” Shock and confusion in his voice. “No! Shun... I want you by our side."

"By your side...?"

"Yes! I know you have your duties, which… makes me proud, you know that… but, even if you are not always there, I want you to have a part in it, because, because you have a part in it, do you understand?” Then his tone changed into something lighter, as he added - “And, besides, you have always been great with kids… Th-the more the merrier… p-please?”

The words he might have said in reply sank in the darkness of the sea. Eloquence or reason, they had no place in that moment. 

The light of a stone lantern cast their shadow along the sand. For a second Shunsui contemplated plunging them both into that shadow. There, the idea of Shunsui and the idea of Jūshirō would merge into one, and be lost in oblivion. Was that his heart’s desire? A wish so dark should always remain unspoken.

And that was when a warm breath and a curious nose wedged itself between them. 

“Hey shika-san! You’ve been following us?”

Jūshirō turned around to ruffle the short fur on the animal’s head. Amused, he let it bite his fingers and promised to get him a snack on the following day. It then shifted its attention to the bigger man. Jūshirō laughed as Shunsui clumsily tried to chase away the friendly creature. It wouldn’t go. There were now three in the shadow – two men and a sika deer.


End file.
